Denver Police Arrest Capitol Vandalism Suspect

Originally published on February 11, 2019 4:52 pm

A cell phone, two good samaritans and a Facebook page helped Denver Police find the man suspected of breaking into the state Capitol last month and damaging several statues.

On Friday, police arrested Elias Anthony Dominguez, 26, on suspicion of burglary. According to an arrest affidavit, Dominguez allegedly entered the Capitol through a faulty security door just after 2 a.m. on Jan. 27 and started breaking chairs, glass display cabinets and bronze busts of former politicians.

The vandalism was captured on video cameras. Police also found blood from the suspect and a cell phone with the first name ‘Elias’ left behind on the scene.

After police released a photo of the suspect to the public, two people called Crime Stoppers to identify the man as Dominguez. Police then compared the photo to his Facebook profile page and driver’s license before making the arrest. 

It isn’t clear from the arrest affidavit what police think the motivation for the crime was.

The day after the damage was discovered, new ropes and signs marked the employee entrances and exits inside the Capitol, indicators of tightened security following the incident.

Capitol Coverage is a collaborative public policy reporting project, providing news and analysis to communities across Colorado for more than a decade. Eleven public radio stations participate in Capitol Coverage from throughout Colorado.

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